Because it’s Meat Free Monday today, and the Aubergine plants in my garden are literally groaning under the weight of the beautiful glossy purple and green fruit, dinner tonight is a one dish wonder: Aubergine, Potato, Lentil and Tomato bake, it also has a cheese topping.

Rayn votes that it should go into my special cook book (only for tried and tested dishes which we make over and over) high praise indeed, from someone who objects to eating tomatoes!

Aubergine, Potato, Lentil and Tomato Bake

Ingredients:

4 medium aubergines

3 medium potatoes

1 onion

1 tin of lentils

1 tin of tomatoes

2tsp tomato paste

salt, pepper and garlic to taste

salt for prepping the aubergines

1 cup of Parmesan cheese

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C

Slice the aubergines (about 1cm thick)

sprinkle with salt and layer in a colander to drain, leave for about 15 min

pour off the juice and pat aubergines dry with some kitchen towel

Dice and fry the onion in a little olive oil

Add lentils, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste to the fried onions and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes then remove from the heat

season to taste

Thinly slice the potatoes ( I leave the skins on)

In a casserole dish place 1 layer of aubergine then 1 layer of potatoes then a layer of tomato and lentil sauce

repeat till you have used all of the ingredients, ending with a layer of tomato sauce on top

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for about an hour

check that the potatoes are cooked by sticking a fork into the bake before removing from oven.